City Councilor Joaquín Baca said Monday night it’s time to change the story of Albuquerque as an extremely dangerous city.
That narrative, he said, frequently describes downtown as the worst part of the city.
“Somewhere along the way, it became OK for the most visible part of our city, on the iconic Route 66 to just sit there falling apart,” he said, as he encouraged his colleagues to support a new ordinance that will create a registry of vacant properties and impose fees on building owners who fail to put them to good use.
The ordinance passed on a 7-2 vote, with Councilors Dan Champine and Louie Sanchez opposing. Champine said he was concerned about provisions in the legislation that put a limit on asking prices for properties put up for sale or rent.
Baca, who represents the downtown area, said that language was included to ensure property owners are acting in good faith. He said the Gizmo Building, owned by the Church of Scientology, is an example of what he wishes to move away from.
“They had a ‘for sale’ sign up on that building for the last 25 years,” Baca said. “They turned down multiple offers above what it appraised for, both with private investors and the city. I can name six different people who tried to purchase it for years and years, and then they turned them all down.”
He said some downtown business owners have come to him with safety concerns surrounding vacant buildings.
“It’s literally been decades for some of these buildings,” Baca said. “Let’s raise the standard.”
Multiple members of the public spoke in favor of the ordinance.
“The situation downtown has become too dire and gone on for too long to keep waiting for voluntary [changes],” Carlos Michelen said. “The bill is not just about a few vacant buildings downtown. It’s about protecting the economic future of our city. Every empty building represents a missed opportunity for jobs, businesses and tax revenue.”
Jordan McConnell of Strong Towns ABQ said vacant, abandoned and underutilized properties are stifling downtown’s potential.
“These properties aren’t just empty spaces,” he said. “They drain public resources, undermine investment and shift financial burdens on all of us. Right now, landowners sitting on vacant or abandoned lots benefit from our city’s utilities, services and infrastructure, yet they give nothing back to my neighborhood. In fact, we subsidize their inaction while they wait for land values to rise or hold out for larger profits.”
The fees will be based on a multiplier of the time a building has been vacant and square footage.
YES: Joaquín Baca, Brook Bassan, Tammy Fiebelkorn, Klarissa Peña, Renée Grout, Dan Lewis, Nichole Rogers
NO: Louie Sanchez, Dan Champine